they are spread out like a rash, originally there was one fat one in the middle of the back of my hand about 1/3 of a centimeter... first pic is back of left hand... 2nd is back of right... 3rd is forearm on right... all the bumps are pretty similar

I dont have them anywhere else on my body, and they don't seem to be going away

I did research and i've read a few places they are maybe "flat warts", but they dont really look like warts... if they are warts, does that mean I have HPV?

They could be warts, but there are so many things that they could be also.

I can't really tell, but one of the bumps on the back of the left hand appears to have a small depression in the center of it. If so, then they could be molluscum contagiosum. This a skin disorder also caused by a virus.

You asked about the difference between cutaneous and genital warts. Here is some information on that subject:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a member of the papillomavirus family of viruses that is capable of infecting humans. While the majority of the nearly 200 known types of HPV cause no symptoms in most people, some types can cause warts (verrucae), while others can â in a minority of cases â lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, and anus in women or cancers of the anus and penis in men. It can also cause cancers of the head and neck (tongue, tonsils and throat).

More than 30 to 40 types of HPV are typically transmitted through sexual contact. Some sexually transmitted HPV types may cause genital warts. Persistent infection with "high-risk" HPV types â different from the ones that cause skin warts â may progress to precancerous lesions and invasive cancer. HPV infection is a cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer. However, most infections with these types do not cause disease.

Some HPV infections can cause warts (verrucae), which are noncancerous skin growths. Infection with these types of HPV causes a rapid growth of cells on the outer layer of the skin. Types of warts include:

COMMON WARTS: Some "cutaneous" HPV types cause common skin warts. Common warts are often found on the hands and feet, but can also occur in other areas, such as the elbows or knees. Common warts have a characteristic cauliflower-like surface and are typically slightly raised above the surrounding skin. Cutaneous HPV types can cause genital warts but are not associated with the development of cancer.

PLANTAR WARTS are found on the soles of the feet. Plantar warts grow inward, generally causing pain when walking.

SUBUNGUAL WARTS form under the fingernail (subungual), around the fingernail or on the cuticle (periungual). They may be more difficult to treat than warts in other locations.

FLAT WARTS are most commonly found on the arms, face or forehead. Like common warts, flat warts occur most frequently in children and teens. In people with normal immune function, flat warts are not associated with the development of cancer.

Genital warts are quite contagious, while common, flat, and plantar warts are much less likely to spread from person to person.

The only way to know exactly what these are, is to have a physician (preferably a dermatologist) take a look at them. A scraping or biopsy may have to be done. Then, once a diagnosis is made, a specific treatment can be started.

They do not raise off the skin quite as high as the pictures I am seeing of "molluscum contagiosum", and they don't look dimpled in the center like "molluscum contagiosum" growths

the new ones that form almost start out looking like small bubbles and itch a bit, then flatten a bit (and become less itchy) as time goes on

if they are flat warts, why do I only really have them on the backs of my hands instead of my face/arms/forehand? they don't look cauliflowerish like a typical wart, so common, plantar, and subungal warts are out of the question...

is it possible it's a allergic reaction to something or a bug bite, or would those eventually go away within a few weeks (where these have been around longer)?

Though you can have an inflammatory response to an insect bite, that would be just right around the actual bite. An allergic reaction, is a systemic thing, thus, you would have the rash basically over the entire body.

The most likely thing these are is flat warts. You can have just one wart on your body, or you can have a patch of them. They are spread by contact, but they are not so highly contagious that every little touch is going to spread them.

It is recommended that you don't scratch them and then scratch somewhere else, as the disruption of the dermis may implant the virus deep enough for the virus to set up housekeeping.

But, the best thing to do is have them evaluated by a dermatologist. There are so many different papilloma viruses out there, and as such, so many different types of warts. And, there are other skin conditions that are not caused by viruses.

So, have the bumps looked at, and that way they can be treated properly.

I had the exact same problem. Bumps looked exactly the same, in the same places, same itchiness and progression, etc. I was so freaked out. Turns out it was simply from washing dishes in hot water frequently! The hot water really irritates and dries your skin out. I just made sure I used moisturizer after having my hands in hot water and they went away in a few days. Hope this helps you!